


Come A Long Way

by LaPetiteLouve



Series: Familia Ante Omnia [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Fluff, Gen, Homesickness, Pack Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 16:36:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21497185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaPetiteLouve/pseuds/LaPetiteLouve
Summary: Kuba's homesick, Kaner's a mother hen of wolves, Sharpy's being Sharpy, Abby's coming to the rescue.  Just an average day with the Hawks Pack
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Familia Ante Omnia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549498
Kudos: 51





	Come A Long Way

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyyy, so I'm very much not Czech, or even european. So if there are any errors or inaccuracies i'd really appreciate it if you could give me pointers or corrections. Recipe: https://www.196flavors.com/czech-republic-gulas-goulash/ Also, title from See You Again Remix by HUDSON. Enjoy!

Kaner slowly blinked awake, surrounded by fluffy pillows, soft blankets and too much space in the bed. He sat up and yawned, slowly rubbing his eyes. He tossed the blankets back off his legs and shuffled to the bathroom. He grinned at the little sticky note Jonny stuck to the mirror. 

_"Good morning, Peeks! Took the rooks out for a run, be back later. Je t'aime. -Jonny_

Kaner smiled as he brushed his teeth. He glanced at the clock. 8am. He rinsed and splashed cold water on his face. He hummed to himself while digging around the closet for clean clothes to wear. The pack had a free day, the first time in a while. Kaner had the house to himself, at least for a little bit. He quietly stepped down the stairs, ears picking up quiet chatter from the kitchen. He glanced in and smiled. Kaner leaned against the wall, quietly listening to Kuba talk on the phone in Czech. 

"Yeah... yeah..." Kuba laughed quietly. He murmured something in Czech and hung up. He sat down at the kitchen counter, back to Kaner. He rested his head on his arms and sighed. 

"Morning Kuba," Kaner strode to the fridge and tugged it open. "Did you eat? Do you want breakfast?"

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry," Kuba declined politely. 

"Aw, I'm no cook, but I know my way around a kitchen," Kaner teased. 

Kuba smiled briefly. "Uh, no. I wanted to call my parents, you know? I think I want, uh, to sleep more. Enjoy the free day," Kuba stood and slipped past Kaner, shoulders hunched. He quickly vanished upstairs.

Kaner gazed after him, an eyebrow furrowed. He sighed to himself and searched the fridge for something to eat. Kuba puzzled him. The Czech wasn't a party animal, or even a wild one, but he never looked so subdued and defeated. Kaner shook his head to himself. He grabbed a carton of eggs and started making himself breakfast. The front door opened as Kaner scooped his scrambled eggs onto a plate. "Hello?" he called out. 

"Hey," Duncs walked in, carrying two large paper bags. "Where is everyone?" 

"Hey. Kuba's sleeping. And Jonny took some people running. How was breakfast?" Kaner asked, pulling a drawer open for a fork. 

"It was good. Sharpy and Bur say hi. Who counts as some people?" Seabs rolled his shoulders, a baseball cap undoubtedly covering untamed hair. 

Kaner shrugged. "I dont know. I'm not sure who's sleeping or not. I assume Boqs, Dacher and Alex are with him."

"Nylander or Debrincat?" Duncs clarified. 

Kaner scrunched his nose up. "Both? Jonny was gone when I woke up. Probably dragged them out of bed at the ass crack of dawn. What's in the bags?"

"Oh, figured we should stop by somewhere and get breakfast. Figured you weren't gonna make anything for breakfast," Seabs said, unpacking food containers. 

Kaner pointedly stared at his pile of lumpy eggs. "Hey! I can cook! I learned a few things from my days with Abby and Sharpy."

"Kaner," Duncs began patiently. "The only two things you learned from those days was that Sharpy was and still is a diva and that Abby's cooking is always immaculate and should never be wasted or tainted." He glanced around the cluttered counter. "Oh, Seabs, can you go get the drinks? We left them in the car."

"I don't like when you two tag team against me," Kaner sniffed. 

"Okay," Duncs shrugged nonchalantly, too busy unpacking food. "You said Kuba went back to sleep? Is he okay?"

"I was about to ask you that. He hasn't been himself lately. More quiet and stuff," Kaner spoke in a hushed tone. He chewed his breakfast thoughtfully. He burnt it a little, he realiezed belatedly. "You think he's getting sick?" 

"I don't think so. He seemed fine at practice," Duncs shrugged. "Thanks Seabsie. You noticed anything weird about Kuba?"

Seabs slowly lowered the carryout trays of coffee and juice onto the open spot on the counter amidst all the food. "No? He's been on the phone a lot. Probably a bout of homesickness."

"Makes sense. He was talking in Czech this morning. I guess it was his parents. Should we do something?" Kaner wondered. 

"You have something in mind? Homesickness isn't an uncommon thing. I remember when you were homesick," Duncs shrugged. 

"Mama's boy," Seabs snickered.

Kaner flipped them off. It's times like this when he wondered why they both had the A. Too much power and influence, too dangerous. _Better them than Sharpy,_ he reasoned. "I'll figure something out, I'm gonna go sit outside." He ignored the wolf whistles and snagged a cup of coffee. Kaner slid the screen door in place and sat in a lounge chair. He shivered slightly. He beamed when he saw a pack of wolves emerge from the forest. He counted nine wolves. Jonny, Stromer, Cags, Dacher, Boqs, Alex, Brinksy, Saader and Shawzy. He sipped his coffee as the pack moved towards the house. "Hey boys, good run?" he asked as they circled and overran the patio. Kaner laughed to himself, watching Boqs, Dacher and Shawzy romp around, knocking each other into furniture. "Be careful."

Jonny chuffed and stared blankly at Kaner's bare feet with his signature 'disapproving-shark-like-patented-captain-stare.' The one that felt like it pierced your body and examined your very soul with a magnifying glass. 

Kaner ignored it with practiced ease. "Seabs and Duncs brought breakfast back. Don't be too rowdy inside, Kuba's still sleeping," he announced as he stood up and opened the door for them. He patted their wolf heads as they hustled inside, ready to eat. He closed the door and returned to his seat, burying his fingers in Jonny's light brown fur. "Kuba's homesick. Been moping around and calling home a lot. Wanna do something?"

Jonny tilted his head to the side.

"I dunno. Find some Czech food for him? Have a pack pile tonight, maybe in The Den." Kaner suggested. 

Jonny nodded and lifted a paw to gesture to the door. He shifted and pulled the door open. "C'mon, let's go inside and figure something out. It's too cold out here to be human."

Kaner followed him inside and locked the door shut. He ambled to the kitchen and grinned as the pack crowded the kitchen, scarfing down the food. "What's the plan for today?"

"I want to go to Chicago," Boqs said. "Please."

"Oh, same," Alex added, taking a bite of his breakfast burrito.

"I want to walk around the loop," Kirby said. 

"Stromer and I were gonna chill and stay home," Brinksy replied. "Why?"

"Need someone to keep Kuba out of the house for the day. Got something planned for him," Kaner shook his head. 

"Saader and I were gonna meet up with Gus and Murph," Shawzy said. "He can come with us if he wants to."

"I'll also go downtown. He can come with us, right? Help me babysit the kids?" Cags offered with a sly grin. 

"Yeah. I got dinner planned," Kaner agreed, already forming ideas in his mind.

"What's for dinner?" Jonny asked, entering the kitchen, dressed in fresh clothes. "Seabs, Duncs, we have an afternoon meeting, don't forget."

"Don't worry about it, I got this," Kaner smirked gleefully. "Great. Keep Kuba out for a while. I'm gonna need a lot of time." 

Kaner unloaded the groceries and pulled his phone out, looking for the saved recipe. He skimmed over the directions and chewed his lip. The recipe fed four people. He tripled the recipe with the plan of saving the extras in case something went disastrously wrong. Kaner groaned. _Get more groceries and explain to Jonny how we ended up with about fifteen allspice berries or forfeit and find a Czech restaurant,_ he debated. He thought of Kuba and steeled himself. _Fuck it, I'm not returning all of this. All or nothing,_ he decided. He laid out all of his ingredients and printed the recipe out. It reminded him of Abby and her cookbooks. He grabbed his phone and dialed her number. 

"Hello?" Sharpy answered. "Peeks? What can I do for you?"

"Can you put Abby on the phone? I really need her help with something," Kaner asked. 

Sharpy sighed heavily. "You wound me, Peekaboo. I'm wounded."

Kaner snorted. "Yeah, yeah, Abby'll kiss your ego better later. I need a huge favor from her. Like now. Please?" He waited for the phone to change hands. 

"Hey Patrick, what's up?" Abby said. "Pat said you had a 'major-code-red-crisis' that I needed to help with?"

"Yeah, his ego took a hit," Kaner answered with a chuckle. "I need a really big favor. You think you can come by right now? I need it done tonight. It's a surprise for Kuba, erm, Dominik Kubalik."

"I know who he is, Patrick. I also watch your games," Abby laughed. "If I do this, you think you can watch the girls for a couple nights?"

"For you, Abby? Anything," Kaner chuckled. "You're a lifesaver Abby. I'll see you in a little." His phone buzzed when he hung up. Kaner opened the pack group chat and smiled at the selfie that Cags sent of them at Navy Pier. He sent a message back. 

_Damn, braving Navy Pier in public?_

_Cags: gotta keep the kids happy_

_Alex N: i'm not much younger..._

_Dacher: idc you got me ice cream lol_

_Boqs: tack for the popcorn_

_Cags: ok, only taking Boqs out next time_

_Boqs: XD_

Kaner called Cags' number. "Hey," he murmured. "How's Kuba doing? You guys having fun?"

"Good, just hanging around with the boys. Took some pictures from the ferris wheel," Cags answered. "What are you doing right now?" he whispered. 

"You'll see. Keep him out until dinner, okay?"

"Yeah. Gotta go, see ya, Kaner," Cags hung up abruptly. 

Kaner blinked and laughed to himself. A couple of months ago, Cags wouldn't have dared to hang up on him suddenly. Time flies. Kaner read the recipe over a few times, until he felt like he had a general idea of what to do. The front door opened. 

"Patrick?" Abby asked. "Hey... wow. Feeding an army?" 

"Yes, an army of rabid wolves. I tripled the recipe with the intent of it in case things went wrong, but... the recipe only feeds four people. And there's like thirteen members? Maybe I should have quadrupled the recipe. Anyway, Kuba's homesick and this is my solution," he showed her the recipe. 

Abby scanned the recipe. "Huh, goulash. Never made it before, but there's a first for everything. It doesn't look too hard, just a lot of prep. We should get started now."

"You're a saint," Kaner praised, reaching for the beef. "Let me know when you want me to watch the girls."

"Oh yeah. They've been asking for Uncle Kaner," Abby grinned. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Yeah, except less Sharpy," Kaner chuckled, rolling his sleeves up. 

Kaner dropped on the couch with a tired sigh. "Who knew cooking could be a hassle." The front door opened and closed. Kaner stood up and trotted over to the door. "Hey Jonny."

"Hi. Why is Sharpy's car in the driveway? Why does it smell like you've been doing something you shouldn't be?" Jonny asked, toeing his shoes off. "Where's Brinks and Stromer?"

"Outside. I think they're chilling on the patio. Where're Duncs and Seabs?" Kaner quirked and eyebrow. 

"Went to go pick up Shawzy and Saader. Their car broke down," Jonny slid past Kaner and headed to the kitchen. "Hi Abby. Thanks for supervising his escapades," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Patrick. 

Abby grinned. "No problem. It was a sweet idea. But, Kaner volunteered to watch the girls for a couple nights."

"What even was the idea?" Jonny questioned with a grin. 

"Kuba was feeling homesick. So I figured comfort food never hurt. I found goulash, which according to the internet is Czech. So, we're making goulash," Kaner explained. "He was really homesick. I just felt bad for the kid, homesickness sucks!"

"He's barely younger than Cags," Jonny chuckled, tugging Kaner into his side. 

"Oh please, as if you don't act like they're all not your rookies," Kaner rolled his eyes playfully. "Oh shit! Bread!"

"What kind of bread? I can drop by somewhere and get some," Jonny offered, patting his pocket for his keys. 

"I'd go for something like a French baguette. I guess bread rolls would also work, but go for baguettes," Abby inputted. "Okay, listen up Patrick. This has to simmer for an hour and a half. Set a timer. After that, add the seasoning we made earlier and mix that in well. Let it sit for another half an hour. The meat should be good by then, but check the tenderness. I have to go. I'll see you later."

"Got it, thanks Abby. Absolute godsend," Kaner hugged her. 

"I'll walk you out. Kaner, I'm gonna go get your bread," Jonny said, quickly waving. 

"Thanks Jonny," Kaner stirred the pot. He lowered the heat and opened the back door. "Brinks, Stromer, c'mere, need a favor," he poked his head out. 

Brinksy lifted his head off his paws and stared at Kaner, puzzled. He barked once and stood up, muzzle wrinkled. 

Kaner rolled his eyes. "I know the house smells. I've been cooking, you know that. Would you just come in and taste it? You don't even have to shift back. Just get in for five minutes," he held the door open. "Should we invest in a dog door? Would we fit?" he wondered briefly. He walked back to the stove and scooped two small chunks of meat out and placed them on a plate. He put the plate on the floor and rubbed his fingers along Stromer's muzzle, where the fur color changed from brown to white. "How is it? Is it good?"

Stromer barked and nodded his head, lapping at the plate. He nudged Kaner's hand, silently asking for more.

Kaner sighed in pure relief. "Great. Thanks. It's for dinner, you can eat it later. Jonny went to get bread. Also, Shawzy's car broke down, Seabs and Duncs went to get them." He stood up and placed the plate in the sink. "You guys wanna go back out or stay inside?"

Brinksy circled around Kaner and pushed at his knees, guiding Kaner to the living room. He nudged the remote towards his feet. 

Kaner flipped the TV on and switched to the most recent game. "Don't ruin the furniture. I'll come watch after I clean up."

Kaner nervously chewed the inside of lip, leaning against the dining table. He glanced up at Jonny through his eyelashes. 

"Why're you nervous? It tastes good. He's gonna love it," Jonny reassured. "It's a good way to solidify the pack too. Let him know we take this seriously and he's a part of it.

"I know, I know. Just... he's in a new country. And he had to start over from the bottom again, just..." Kaner broke off.

"He's got us. We're his family. We're his pack. And if he didn't know that before, he knows it now. Chin up, they're almost home," Jonny reassured. Almost on cue, the door opened and slammed shut.

Kaner sucked in a soft breath as Kuba wandered in, wide eyed. "Hey, have a good time?"

"Guláš?" Kuba asked, almost unbelieving. "You made guláš? For me?" He broke out in a wide smile when Kaner nodded. "I... thank you so much!" He seemed to glow as Jonny tugged him in a tight hug. 

Kaner shrugged. He smiled. "Noticed you were missing home. Figured some food was a good way to help. Wanna get the pack together so we can eat?"

Kuba nodded and sprinted around the house, calling everyone's name excitedly. A complete switch from this morning. He skidded to a stop in the kitchen and automatically reached for the ladle. He hesitated. "I... we eat now?" he asked, accent noticeably thicker. 

Jonny laughed. "Of course. It's for you, go crazy."

"So, when I get homesick for Sweden, you make Swedish Meatballs?" Boqs asked shyly. 

"And sour cream sauce too?" Alex queried. "It's a staple!"

Kaner chuckled. "Find me a simple recipe and we'll make it when you get homesick. Let's eat." His phone buzzed with a message from Sharpy. 

_Sharpy: Your entire emergency was a culinary recipe????_

_Sharpy: I thought we taught you better._

_Sharpy: "NHL Superstar Can't Cook"_

Kaner huffed playfully and snapped a picture of Kuba, with his big bowl of goulash and bright eyes. He typed a response, victorious and satisfied. 

_Pack's important_

**Author's Note:**

> If you're down here, i'm gonna assume you read it. What did you think? Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have any ideas you'd like to see come to life? Leave a comment. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
